UNHCR Niger

Diffa, Niger, June 17 (UNHCR)- When Ismael Bahla heard gunshots on 11 June in his hometown of Malam Fatouri, Nigeria, the 45 year old ironmonger did not hesitate : he fled with his 3 wives and 13 children 8 km north to neigbouring Niger, where he knew his friend Ibrahim would help him.

Ismael and Ibrahim have known each other for a long time. They first met when Ibrahim started his masonry business in Bosso, Diffa area, 8 years ago. He then started buying his supplies in Ismael’s retail shop across the border, in Nigeria. Over the years, they  havebuilt a friendship that is now the only thing Ismael and his family can hold on to.

“The shootings started after the mid-day prayer. We didn’t know for sure what was happening but I knew it was the army and the others fighting” tells Ismael.

The others is how local population of Borno State, Northern Nigeria call Boko Haram. Since 14 May 2013, a military offensive is being carried out against this Islamist group by Nigerian defence forces and the conflict has affected the population of the three states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno, forcing them to flee to Niger, and Cameroon.

“I took my 4 youngest children with me on a motorcycle but my wives and 9 of my children came by foot walking for 8km. They were in a group of 50, all relatives coming to Bosso to be safe” explains the 45 years old man. “And more will come” he adds. 

It is now the second time that they flee. They left a first time a month ago at the beginning of the military intervention and stayed for almost three weeks with Ibrahim and his family of 5.They had just got back to Nigeria, thinking that the situation had improved .

Ismael’s Nigerien friend, like many other villagers of Bosso, has been providing food and shelter helping refugees coming from Nigeria. “As far as food is concerned, we can manage” Ibrahim says. UNHCR is currently bringing emergency assistance for those in needs with a distribution of NFI organized on 19 June, but the existing solidarity system set up by the host community is a source of inspiration for the UN Refugee Agency.  

Building on existing social ties and on the solidarity and generosity shown by Nigerien villagers, the UN Agency is considering strengthening the community approach in order to create a innovative scheme for the humanitarian response.

Karl Steinacker, UNHCR representative in Niger explains “We are working on a strategy that will respond to the mixed influx of Nigerien returnees and Nigerian refugees fleeing for their safety across the Nigerian border. We want to increase the absorption capacity of host population affected by this influx through a community approach that will help create the condition for peaceful coexistence between refugees, returnees and the host population”.

And the humanitarian assistance is more than ever needed as the prospect of a return to Nigeria in a near future seems unlikely. “I don’t know when I will go back” admits Ibrahim “but I will need a proof of lasting peace before doing so”.

The region of Diffa in eastern Niger is currently hosting 2700 Nigerian refugees, 3500 Nigerien returnees and about a hundred third country nationals, a total of 6200 people forced to flee the clashes in Nigeria.